News
Quake shakes Indonesian island
A powerful 6.6-magnitude quake hit eastern Indonesia early Thursday and destroyed more than 100 homes but there were no reports of injuries, meteorologists said.
The quake struck at 6:41am (2241 GMT Wednesday) about 51 kilometres (31 miles) northwest of the town of Sumbawa, at a depth of 10 kilometres, the meteorology office said.
"Our latest figures indicate 124 houses were destroyed and about 117 others were slightly damaged," local district chief Abdurahman told AFP.
"No people were injured as they quickly fled their houses."
He said many people had already left their homes to start work when the quake struck.
The US Geological Survey said it had registered a 5.7-magnitude quake near Sumbawa, part of an island chain which forms West Nusa Tenggara province.
The Indonesian archipelago sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet causing seismic and volcanic activity.